Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2Parry, William Edward, Sir
History
Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2
Parry, William Edward, Sir
Arctic regions; Northwest Passage; Parry, William Edward, Sir, 1790-1855
The ice remaining quite close on the 6th, every individual in both
ships, with the exception of those at the pumps, was employed in landing
provisions from the Fury, together with the spars, boats, and everything
from off her upper deck. On the following day, the ice remaining as
before, the work was continued without intermission, and a great
quantity of things landed. The armorer was also set to work on the beach
in forging bolts for the martingales of the outriggers. In short, every
living creature among us was somehow or other employed, not even
excepting our dogs, which were set to drag up the stores on the beach;
so that our little dock-yard soon exhibited the most animated scene
imaginable. The Fury was thus so much lightened in the course of the
day, that two pumps were now nearly sufficient to keep her free, and
this number continued requisite until she was hove down.
At night, just as the people were going to rest, the ice began to move
to the southward, and soon after came in towards the shore, pressing the
Fury over on her side to so alarming a degree, as to warn us that it
would not be safe to lighten her much more in her present insecure
situation. One of our bergs also shifted its position by this pressure,
so as to weaken our confidence in the pier-heads of our intended basin;
and a long "tongue" of one of them forcing itself under the Hecla's
forefoot, while the drifting ice was also pressing her forcibly from
astern, she once more sewed three or four feet forward at low water, and
continued to do so, notwithstanding repeated endeavours to haul her off,
for four successive tides, the ice remaining so close and so much
doubled under the ship, as to render it impossible to move her a single
inch. Notwithstanding the state of the ice, however, we did not remain
idle on the 8th, all hands being employed in unrigging the Fury, and
landing all her spars, sails, booms, boats, and other top weight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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